Misadventures of Sali: The Reprise
by xJadeRainx
Summary: This is a retelling of the story explaining the circumstances of how Hali met Sam. Only this time, it's told from Sam's point of view. A must read for all die hard Sam fans!
1. Chapter 1: A Sailor's Life

I am a sailor. It's all I have known, and it's probably all I'll ever know. Now, don't get me wrong. I love sailing. It's my life. I only wish that there was a little more adventure involved. Yeah, i know it sounds crazy. A sailor's life sounds like it would be chalk full of adventures, but that's a misconception. Sure, I've traveled the world, more than most people who live to be ninety-nine, but I have found that people everywhere are all the same. They all have their routines, living simple, little lives, not wanting to be disturbed in any way. Basically, I've come to the conclusion that human beings have become content with their lot in life. Where is the fun in that?

Sailing, is deceptively similar. Day, after day, full of the mundane activities of a life at sea. I wake up, as the fist steak of light paints the sky, check the captain's list of chores for the day, and set to work. Then later in the evening, I play a tune on my fife, and some of the guys dance a lively little jig. Not me, though. I never dance. Ever. The only time, that routine is broken, and we have some hope for genuine entertainment, is when the captain decides to dock the ship. Actually, we're due to reach land in a little less than two days. Someplace, called Shireland. How boring does that place sound?

I sit, straddling the figure head of the _Oak Leviathan_, our ship. It is carved out of wood, in the image of a mermaid. The smell of the sea salt, and the feel of the wind ripping at my face, takes me away for a moment, in spite of the chill October air. I imagine myself the king of the world.

"Hey, Salty!"

I recognize the voice, to be Piper, my best friend aboard the _Leviathan_. Maybe, if I keep still, he won't notice me. Suddenly, I feel something heavy, thud against my head. I look up, rubbing the site of the growing lump. I see Piper grinning at me. He threw something at me, but I didn't catch a good glimpse of it before it hit the water with a splash, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Whatever it was, the merfolk have it now.

"What?" I yell at him in irritation.

"Get up here, now," orders Piper.

"No," my answer is simple, yet forceful.

"Why not?" Piper presses.

This little game is becoming quite childish, and tiresome, and I am in no mood to be bothered. As much as I like Piper, there are times when I can't stand him. He always wants to talk about feelings. What do I look like, a therapist?

"Can't," I reply, turning my attention back to the rolling waves, "I'm busy."

"Too preoccupied daydreaming about mermaids, again, huh?" my friend teases.

I swear that I saw a mermaid once, while the_ Leviathan_ was docked in Toboga, a small island, just off the coast of Panama. No one believes me, though. Not even Piper.

"Go away, I've finished all my chores for the day," I grunt up at Piper.

"The captain is looking for you, Sam," Piper informs.

"What does he want?" my neck is starting to hurt from looking up at Piper.

"Don't know," he shrugs, "but stay here and hide all day, if you want. It's your head on the line. At least you have that mermaid to keep you company!"

Then Piper disappears, but the sounds of his unbridled laughter still linger behind. I sit for a moment trying to figure out what the captain would want with me. I am not lazy, I do everything the captain asks of me... eventually. Okay, so I'm loud, hot headed, and sarcastic. All lovable characteristics if you ask me. Sails? mended. Rigging? Checked. That loose floor board? Repaired. Well, I did nearly drown Mullet yesterday, and he is the captain's nephew. But I can't help it. I don't care for Mullet much, and besides, he was asking for it.

As I scratch my head in concentration, I notice that the sun is low on the horizon, ready to set at any given moment. I had better get to the captain now. If he really needs to see me, then he just might he steaming mad, and that is never a good thing.

Finally, I knock on the door of the captain's cabin. He calls for me to enter, from behind the door. The captain is seated at his desk. You would think, that there isn't much work left for a captain to do. After all, his crew competes all the menial tasks for him. Yet, the massive pile of paper work, strewn about my captain's desk, suggests otherwise.

"Well, Sam," begins my captain, "Piper tells me, you've been spending time with our mermaid again."

I'm embarrassed, but I refuse to blush in front of him.

"What do you want?" then add in respect, "sir?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Mullet had it coming to him!" I blurt out.

The captain furrows his thick eyebrows in confusion, but then shakes his head and continues.

"Piper seems to think you are unhappy here, on the _Oak Leviathan_, is that true, Salty?"

"Piper has a big mouth, and doesn't know what he's talking about," I reassure our captain.

"Really?" the captain prods, "not lacking in adventure?"

I look into the captain's gentle, smiling face and couldn't possibly lie to him.

"Well, maybe a little bit," I concede, "but I can never be unhappy sailing. I love the _Leviathan_, and her crew. Except, possibly Mullet. Sorry."

"That's all right, Salty, " the captain says, "Mullet isn't the easiest man to get along with, I know that."

The captain pauses for a minute. I assume that he is waiting for me to reply, but I don't say anything.

Again, he takes up speaking, "You know we'll reach shore, by the morning after tomorrow? Then, you're free for a week. I'm sure a young man like you, can find a way to entertain yourself, in Shireland."

"It sounds, painfully as boring as any other place we've visited," I sigh.

"Don't say that, Sam," the captain chuckles, "you never know what you might find. Besides, I hear you enjoyed yourself in Toboga. Any luck, hunting for that mermaid?"

This conversation is taking a toll on my temperament, "Is that all you wanted, Skipper?"

"Captain," he corrects, "and no, that isn't all. There is yet another matter, I would like to discuss with you."

"And that might be?" I question.

"It's been a month since, Anchor died of scurvy, now, and I've been observing all of you..."

I stop listing at this point, I have no idea where this is headed, and what I have to do with poor, dead Anchor, or scurvy. My mind wanders for some time, before tuning back into the captain's words.

"After some deliberation," The captain sits up straighter in his chair, "I've decided that you are the best qualified to be my new first mate."

"What!" I panic.

"Is that a no," the captain sounds disappointed, "the job comes with less chores, and more adventure."

"It's not that," I say hurriedly, "It's just... what about Mullet?"

"Nepotism, is always frowned upon, my dear boy," he smiles, "besides, Mullet's mind isn't the sharpest tack. Is it?"

"No, he's not, but still..."

"Yes or no, Sam," his voice rings with finality.

"Yes, of course, Captain. I won't let you down," I grin.

"Skipper."

"Excuse me, Captain?" Now, I'm really confused.

"It's Skipper," he repeats, "the first mate always calls me, Skipper."

I cannot tell if the captain means this, or if it is some sort of test. I decide to take the bait.

"All right, then," I nod, "Skipper it is."

I step outside Skipper's Cabin, and am hit with a face full of fog. By the looks of it, we are heading straight into a storm. It was days, away, yet, but still, storms could prove to be fatal. Many a sailor has lost his life in a great storm, and raging sea. This was great! I haven't been first mate for even five minutes, and already I have an opportunity to make myself useful to my captain. I turn around immediately, and reenter the Cabin. Skipper is still seated behind his desk.

"Yes, Salty?"

"A storm is brewing, Skipper," I hesitate at the last word.

"And what would you suggest we do?" Skipper asks, tugging at his graying beard.

"We sit right here, and wait it out."

"No," Skipper disagreed, "we sail on?"

"What!" I shriek in disbelief, "In a storm? We could all die out there!"

"You said you wanted, adventure, excitement, boy, and so help me, you'll get it!"

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Tadah! I mentioned that I might rewrite this story from Sam's perspective. I'm not sure I should continue this, however? What do you say? Do you like it? Are you interested? Maybe you can do me a favor and review the ending of the original story told from Hali's perspective. No one, I repeat, no one, has done so yet.

I kind of needed a break from _Ocean Star_ for a minute. You see, I want write a chapter about what's happening on the surface, but I'm not sure how to go about that. Any ideas? See you soon, readers!

Knock three times, on the ceiling if you want me,

xJadeRainx


	2. Chapter 2: When Skipper Went Mad

I have never seen a storm with such intensity in all my years as a sailor. Within a single day, the weather conditions went from terrible to catastrophic. Let's just say, that things aren't looking good at the moment. The captain calls for all men to be on deck. We attempt to regain control of the _Leviathan_, but it is a useless cause. The storm is too impossibly fierce, and we are at the mercy of the sea. The rain pelts the back of my neck. It is ice cold, and is beginning to sting. I can barely even see straight, anymore. I wipe the rainwater from my eyes, with my already saturated sleeve. All the while, I hold on to the rigging connected to the main sail, with all my might. Finally, Skipper orders for all hands to return below deck. It's about time. I release my grip on the ropes, and turn to follow the other inside. Only, the captain calls to me over the roar of the storm.

"Not you, Salty!" shouted Skipper.

"Why the hell not?" I yell back, infuriated.

"I want to show you something, boy."

I steal a quick glance at the captain's face. His dark brown eyes are filled with mischief. If I didn't already trust Skipper with my life, I might have been frightened. Instead, I dutifully follow my captain's lead. He takes me to the side of the ship. I am confused. What did the captain want to show me, exactly? The bounding waves, that look as if they are hungry for human flesh?

"Well?" I question, quite irritated at this point, "What is it, Skipper?"

"You're a strong swimmer, Sam," he answers, unfortunately it doesn't answer my question.

"Yeah," I drawl out, "of course, all sailors are good swimm... umpfh!"

Skipper pushes me right over the edge. Has the captain gone mad? I hit the water, shocked, and confused. It takes me a minute to remember to swim, but finally, I kick off my boots and battle my way through the vengeful waves. Of course, it is just my luck, that the rope ladder is gone. Did the captain pull it up, or was it lost to the storm?

I begin to circle the ship, but freeze mid stroke. Something has just brushed past me, and it isn't small. whatever is is, it is about the size of a man. A young shark? My pulse begins to quicken. I don't want to die at seventeen! Why would the captain promote me to first mate, if he was only going to try and kill me? I take up swimming again. I am desperate to find a way back aboard the Leviathan.

Suddenly, there is a sharp pain at the top of my skull. For a split second, I reach for my head. Am I bleeding? Then, the world goes goes black, and I can feel the sea swallow me whole.

* * *

I must be dead, because I can hear the faint strains of a female voice. She sound's like an angle. For a moment, I'm content with being dead, if it means I'll eventually have the pleasure of meeting this angel.

"Okay, sailor," I hear her sigh, "still breathing, I see."

Breathing? Did spirits breathe in Heaven? _Heaven_? Did Salty Sam die and go to Heaven? I would never have believed it. I feel the angel brush a lock of tangled hair out of my face, and place a hand on my chest.

"Your heartbeat is a little on the fast side though," she sounds genuinely concerned, "that can't be good. What did Mom do, when this happened to her?"

Heartbeat? Do spirits have heartbeats? And do angels have mothers? For the first time, I find strength enough to force open my eyes. I need to catch a good glimpse of my savior, this angel. I am surprised to find that she is not an angel, at all. This ethereal being was a mermaid. I have been rescued by a mermaid! Stuff like this only happens in fairy tales, and yet it happened to me, Sam Bennett, a humble, well, not so humble sailor. My vision is slightly blurry, but with the aid of the full moon, I am able to distinguish her face. Red hair and blue, no azure colored eyes. She's absolutely stunning, even more beautiful than the mermaid I saw in Toboga. I think I'm in love.

I endeavor to speak, but find that my lips are unable to form words. Shame. Then, my mermaid withdraws and splashes back into the still raging ocean. I will find her again. Pushing myself up on my elbow, I bring myself up to a sitting position, but soon grow dizzy, and I collapse back onto the sand. The last thing I remember, is the lovely glowing, white moon, and the twinkling stars.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Okay, so this is a short chapter, but again, I'm not sure I should continue this story. I will, so long as you, my readers, tell me you like it. I know it seems like Sam is a little out of character (imagine, a writer making her own invention sound out of character!), but remember, this is only the introduction. Do not fear, for good, old Salty Sam will return in all his sarcastic glory, soon.

Soon it won't be make believe, soon a happy ending,

xJadeRainx

PS: I posted a song on the website www . red karaoke . com (no spaces). My user name on the sight is JadeRain (no "X's" this time). Be sure to check it out, and let me know what you think. **I** think, you'll like it.


	3. Chapter 3: Confrontation

The next thing I know, I am awakened by another concerned voice. Only this time, the vocals aren't as sweet, and melodious as the mermaid's voice. I open my eyes, but the bright sun, blinds me, and I squint in pain. I'm freezing, and my head hurts terribly. And of course, I miss my mermaid, whoever she is.

"Sam!" the voice cries, and shakes me violently, "Sam! Can you hear me? Are you all right?"

"Piper?" I manage to groan, "What happened?"

Piper helps me to a sitting position. At least I don't feel dizzy anymore.

"You fell overboard last night. Everyone told me I was crazy to even check the beach. They all thought you were dead for sure," Piper pauses for a minute, "Well, except the captain. He said that he knew you were alive, somehow."

The captain? The captain! I remember now. I didn't fall overboard. It was homicide! Skipper, a man I had previously trusted with my life had attempted to murder me. But why? I consider not returning to the ship, but my clothes are damp and cold, and all my belongings are aboard the _Leviathan_. I need to get back and change, before the frigid October air, finishes the job, Skipper failed to do.

I stand up a little too quickly, because my head starts spinning. Nevertheless, I try and take a few steps, but my legs aren't working correctly, and I stumble all over the beach in my bare feet.

"Maybe we should get you to a doctor," Piper says worriedly.

"I'm fine," I respond gruffly, shaking him off my arm.

"But, Salty, you could have a concussion, or..."

"I don't need a doctor," I slur, "I just need to find my land legs again, that's all."

"Okay, Sam," relents Piper, "let's get you back to the ship, before you catch pneumonia, or something."

So, we are heading back to the _Leviathan_. Well, this is going to be interesting. I cannot wait to see the look on Skipper's face, when Salty Sam comes back from the dead. Then again, Piper had mentioned something about the captain having expected me to survive. In a storm like that? He really must be mad.

* * *

When I again step foot aboard our ship, I hurriedly return to the small cell that I share with Piper and another sailor, and slip into some dry clothes. I reach under my lumpy excuse of an old cot, and pull out my spare pair of boots. I lost my favorite boots to that storm, all thanks to crazy, crazy Skipper. Well then, I hope the merfolk can make good use out of them.

Now adequately dry, and having scarfed down some sustenance, I make my way straight for Skipper's cabin. We have some unfinished business together, as far as I'm concerned. When I reach the door to the captain's safe haven, I am certainly not concerned with formalities, and simply burst the door open. Really, need I knock politely on the door of the man who had only tried to drown me, not even twelve hours ago? I think not!

"Glad to see you well, my boy," Skipper smiles jovially.

"Are you sure about that, _captain_?" I snarl.

"Do you mean to say, that you didn't enjoy your swim, Salty?"

I furrow my eyebrows in disbelief. What is wrong with him? Delirium, perhaps?

"If you call attempted murder, swimming," I hiss, "then yes, I enjoyed myself immensely."

"Well, boy," the captain's voice booms, "here you are in one piece. Why do you think that is? A man should have surely drowned in a storm like that. I've seen it a dozen times. Yet here you stand. Surely, you have a guardian angel watching over you."

_Don't say that, Sam, you never know what you might find._

Suddenly, I remember the captain's words from only a few days ago. Could Skipper have known about the mermaid? No, that's insane. He couldn't have possibly anticipated that the mermaid would have been swimming near our ship. Unless he has a crystal ball, I don't know about.

"Something wrong Sam?" he questions with a smirk.

"Captain?" I ask unsure.

"It's Skipper, my boy," he grins and asks, "What is it?"

"Never mind," I shake my head, "have you got the list of chores?"

Skipper hands me a sheet of paper, and I am pleased. Most of my responsibilities involve me bossing people around. I'll have fun with that, I know. I turn to leave, when my captain calls out to me.

"I hear there are merfolk in these parts. Meet any last night?"

I don't say anything, but I stare at Skipper quizzically. Finally, I leave his cabin.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

So, what do you guys think? Did Sam's captain know Hali was out there?

Ancestors, hear my plea, help me not to make a fool of me,

xJadeRainx

Happy Thanksgiving, all!


	4. Chapter 4: Fortuna, Fortuna!

I have to say, that ordering the other guys around is really quite appealing, but I must have abused my power, seeing as the entire crew is beginning to get fed up with me. I think that if I press my luck any further, they will probably force Muscle tie an anchor to my leg, and throw me overboard again. That is something I simply don't care for. If my mermaid does not happen to swim by, I'd be doomed to a watery grave. I wonder if Davey Jones ever existed, or is it only the usual sailor lore?

Oh, well. I'm bored with this anyway. I wonder what kind of trouble I can get myself into at the town? Going by my past experiences in other places we've visited, probably a whole bunch. It's worth a shot, at least. I go to search for Piper. I find him tangled in the nets. Piper is tall and lanky, which always causes him to be ensnared in our nets. The Captain has ordered us to store the nets away, for the time being. Apparently the royal family, of whatever this place is called, has something against fishing. Why? I don't know, and I don't care either. Sounds perfectly idiotic. There is a lot of money to be made in the fishing industry. I haven't got the slightest idea why the king would ban something that would surely bring extra money into his kingdom's economy. Oh well, no skin off my nose. I help Piper free himself from his prison of netting, but not before I adequately tease him first.

"Boniest fish I ever saw," I scoff, "better throw that one back!"

"Ha, ha, funny," Piper growls, "not get me out of this thing!"

I give the nets, a few tugs, and Piper is emancipated. Honestly, I don't know how he manages to do these things.

"I remember when it used to be me and you, working with these nets," Piper sighed, "but then you went and got yourself a new fancy job, and here I am alone."

I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking. Piper and I are the youngest crew members. Believe me, that isn't a good thing. The other guys all try and have their fun with us, and they never fight fairly.

"We need to get some fresh blood on this ship, Piper," I say.

"Yeah," agrees Piper, "and then we can show them the ropes, so they won't get picked on."

"Or," I add in annoyance, "we could just treat them exactly the same way we were treated."

"But that isn't fair, Salty. We should end the cycle of abuse," Piper declares.

I decide their isn't any point in arguing with Piper further. He has such convoluted ideas about chivalry and justice. A real softy, that one, and very popular with kids. Why he chose sailing as a profession is beyond me.

"Come on, Piper," I motion him forward, making a circle through the air, with my arm, "let's go."

"Let's go where?"

"We're going to see what we can do for some fun in this godforsaken country."

"The scenery is actually quite breathtaking, Sam," Piper comments.

I simply roll my eyes at him and say, "Then go write a poem about it later. Right now, let's see what we can find."

If Skipper knew about my mermaid, then maybe he knew other things about this place. You never know. Maybe this stop will actually prove to be interesting, memorable.

* * *

Piper and I find ourselves in some sort of fair grounds. I ask one particularly burly man, what the fair is called. The man seems to be in a hurry, as if he is searching for someone. Maybe his teenage daughter had run off alone with some local boy. Who knew? Anyway, the large man answers me rather gruffly. Piper and I are at the Autumn Jubilee. It sounds perfectly girly. I have half a mind to leave, but Piper wants to stay. He had found a great interest in a stage act. I stop to listen to the performers for a moment.

"To be, or not to be. That is the question."

The poor oaf speaking is dressed like a total sissy, and I quickly lose interest. Piper on the other hand, is riveted. I shake my head, at my strange friend. He should be more normal, like me.

"Hey, Piper?"

"What?" he whispers, obviously hanging on every word of the performance.

"I'll catch up with you later, okay. I want to see what else the _Autumn Jubilee_ has to offer."

Piper doesn't respond, and I take it as a yes, Sam, whatever you say. You are so awesome. I wish I could be more like you. Then I leave Piper, standing alone and entranced by the play.

"Piper is such a weirdo sometimes," I say to myself, wandering aimless throughout the fair grounds.

Thus far, I am utterly unimpressed. There is one never ending, lame attraction after another. I count a wandering minstrel, a puppet show, a juggler, and one of those annoying people who go around pantomiming their every movement. The mime was pretending he was stuck in an invisible box. What kind of idiot would do something like that? He even tries to get _me_ to participate. I hightail it in the opposite direction.

I think I made a mistake, dragging piper to this place. I want to leave now. As I turn to head back to the stage and forcibly remove Piper from the fair grounds, I hear the faint sounds of an intriguing voice, a very familiar female voice. She was singing. Whoever this girl is, she sounds so familiar. But how is that possible? I have never set foot in this country before today. I can't quite hear what she is singing. I have to stain my ears and I am able to pick up a few words here and there.

_Do you hear the people sing,_

Something, something.

_Valley of the night,  
It is the music of a people,_

Something, something.

_Light._

Her voice is exquisite. For a moment, a picture of my mermaid's face flashes through my brain. Strange. For one reason of another, I feel compelled to see whoever this girl was. I begin to follow the sound of her melodious voice. As I get closer to the source of her singing, I am better able to distinguish the words of the mystery girl's song.

_For the wretched of the earth  
There is a flame that never dies.  
Even the darkest night will end  
And the sun will rise._

I stop dead in my tracks. The singing just suddenly stops. Has she finished already? I find myself completely disappointed, but I figure my best bet is to continue in the direction the voice had been coming from. Maybe, just Maybe, I'll find her.

I am thinking alternately about my mermaid, and the mystery girl, they mystery girl, and my mermaid. As a result, I am not paying any attention to my surroundings, and I find my face implanted between two soft, and indecently exposed breasts. Oh, sweet Fortuna, thank you!

I quickly forget all about my search for the mystery girl, for I have stumbled upon something far greater than a beautiful voice. Surely, this maiden must be expecting me pull away, and stutter a red faced apology. Too bad, that isn't how Salty Sam operates. If she wanted me to move, then she was going to have to move me herself.

Thirty blissful seconds must have passed, and she finally pushed me away forcefully. I am left with what must be a goofy smile glued to my face. This is the best fair ever, in the history of the world.

I speak first, "Hello there!"

It isn't until now that I get a good look at her face. I blink a few times to ensure that I am seeing things clearly. Yep, nothing has changed. Red hair. Azure eyes. Porcelain skin. Exactly like my mermaid. What are the chances of that? I'd bet, one in a million.

She doesn't speak a word to me, but she does offer a deep frown. That much is to be expected. Who could really blame the poor girl. I prepare myself for the inevitable slap, my cheek was seconds away from bearing. One minute. Two minutes. No slap. What's going on here? Then, she tries to walk away from me, but I gently grab her by the wrist.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" I ask playfully.

"Yes, unhand me!"

It seems I have found a feisty one. Hmm, could be trouble. It's a good thing I like trouble. I don't need the girl to start screaming rape, so I unclench my fingers from around her wrist.

"I could swear that I know you, Angelfish."

I have never tried that line before, but the boys aboard the _Leviathan_ all say it works like a charm. At least she didn't walk away laughing. That much was encouraging.

"Maybe you've seen me around town," she replies.

That would be impossible. It's my first time here in... er..." Why can't I remember the name of this country for the life of me?

"Shireland," she answers bluntly.

She seems in a hurry, but I have no intentions of letting her out of my sight.

"Shireland, how... quaint."

The girl seems to be offended by my comment.

"Welcome, sir, I hope you enjoy your stay."

Her voice is oozing with sarcasm. She is the female version of me! I am now in love with her too.

She tries to escape again, an I am force to quickly jump in front of her. There is no way, I'm going to lose track of her, like I did my mermaid.

"My name's Sam," I say hurriedly.

The girl appears to be totally uninterested. Well, now that's got to be impossible. I'm a fascinating guy!

"Well, aren't you going to give me your name?"

"Lorelei," she answers.

Lorelei. Her name tastes like honey on my tongue. It is the single most beautiful name I have ever heard in my life.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I loved this chapter didn't you. Who do you think the large, burly man Sam encountered in this chapter was? I think you can figure it out (who remembers that show on Nickelodeon? It was on in the 90's, I think). You know what would be fun, after you read this chapter, go back to the originally story, and reread chapters five (The Run in) and six (Familiar Stranger). Then you can compare and contrast them. And while you're there, review the end of the story, darn it!

So, the play Piper was so interested in, was Shakespeare's Hamlet, but most everyone knows that.

Fortuna is the Roman goddess of good fortune, and luck. Sam thanked her when he found himself face first in Hali's bosom.

Like a fella said quote, "ain't that a whole in the boat?"

xJadeRainx


	5. Chapter 5: Who Needs Sherlock Holmes?

"Lorelei,' I repeat in wonderment, "that's a fitting name for a mermaid, such as yourself."

I say that as a complete joke, but suddenly, I am caught off guard. There is something in her eyes, a flicker of recognition, and her body language changes. Lorelei now stands rigid, with her arms crossed about her chest, defensively. This is intriguing, to say the least.

"Excuse me?" she asks coolly.

Lorelei is a good actress. I might have actually believed her little performance, if I hadn't seen that tell tale light in her eyes, only moments ago.

I decide to press my luck. What are you hiding Lorelei?

"I met a mermaid last night. Same hair, same eyes, same face!"

She responds with an unmistakable attitude, "Is that some sort of lame pick up line, Sal?"

Sal? Sal, really? My Lorelei can't even remember my name. We only exchanged names, not even five minutes ago! She must be faking it. Sam is about as common a name any man can have. Who could possibly forget a name like Sam? She really must be in love with me, if she's going through this much trouble!

"Firstly it's Sam," I correct, "and you must be the mermaid, because I remember the feel of her skin against mine."

That's when I gently grab hold of her arm, and rub my cheek against her lily white skin. Her goosebumps do not go unnoticed by me. Expectantly, Lorelei pulls her arm away from me, faster than I can blink. Though, I am pleasantly surprised that she still doesn't slap me in the face. I think I'm winning this battle.

"I think you swallowed too much sea water when you fell overboard!" declares Lorelei.

My brain prepares a response, when I am unexpectedly hit with a jolt of realization. I never said a word about falling overboard, well thrown overboard, really. But my mermaid couldn't have know that. Eureka! Now I know that Lorelei and my mermaid are one and the same. It's crazy, though! Last I checked, mermaids didn't have legs. Still, there is always the possibility of me being wrong. The situation requires further investigation.

"Who said anything about falling overboard?" I reply with a triumphant smile.

Only one question remains. Will Lorelei take the bait?

"Well...I just assumed...." she stammers, looking down at her feet, and rubbing the back of her neck.

Ha! I win! There is no fooling the almighty Salty Sam! See, and I didn't even need those Sherlock Holmes books Piper was always trying to get me to read. Ha! My celebrating is cut short, however, when Lorelei suddenly cries out.

"Duck!" she shouts, dragging me down by my hand.

Lorelei cautiously leans past me, and I follow her gaze. I see nothing suspicious in the least, only a couple of love birds strolling hand in hand. What in the world is going on here? I don't say anything to her, but simply shoot her a piercing stare.

"I thought I saw a bee," she answers sheepishly.

I have only known this girl for roughly ten minutes, but I know she's a better liar than that!

"A bee?" I question skeptically.

Lorelei opens her mouth to respond, but before she can say anything, a familiar voice cuts through the air. I don't even know how I heard it against the din of the Autumn Jubilee.

"Salty!," Piper screams, "Hey Salty!"

The weirdo is probably feeling guilty about shirking our responsibilities, and wants to return to the ship. I can't possibly head back now! For a split second, I consider yelling back to Piper, telling him to wait a minute, while I finish things up with Lorelei, but then I remember something. I painfully recall that past summer in Malta, when I met the lovely Madliena. Before I knew it, she had taken up with Piper, instead. Apparently she preferred the sensitive type. Who knew? Shame of Piper for clearly violating the man code like that! I wasn't going to take any chances with the even more lovely, Lorelei. Not this time.

Quickly, I take her by the arm, and hide the two of us behind a large oak tree. I stand there pinning Lorelei against the tree's trunk. My face is definitely close enough to kiss her, but I don't. Lorelei is struggling to get out of my grip, and it just doesn't feel like the right time.

"What was that all about?" she asks confused.

"We're hiding," I answer with a smile.

"Hiding from who?"

"Piper," I explain.

"Why are we hiding from Piper?"

"Because if he sees you," I grin again, "he'll want you all for himself."

Before either of us had time to speak another word, Piper's voice again rang through the air.

"Salty!"

He is getting closer to us by the minute. If I stay here with her any longer, Piper would spot us for sure. I run a couple of fingers through my thick brown hair, and give a disappointed sigh.

"Listen, I have to go. Meet me here. Tonight, at ten o'clock, Lorelei."

"Where?" Lorelei questions.

Yes! She didn't say, 'no'.

"Right here, under this very oak tree," I clarify for her.

"No, I can't." answers Lorelei.

Oh, wait, there it is, the dreaded 'no'.

I pin her closer to the tree, "I'm not letting you go until you say, yes."

Lorelei again begins to worm her way out of my hold, but I'm stronger than her. I continue to stare her down, hoping the eye contact will change her mind.

"Okay," Lorelei submits.

"So, that's a yes?" I ask hopefully.

"Yes."

Perfect! I feel my heart give a leap of joy, almost exiting out of my throat. Then, finally, I plant a soft kiss on her lips, and disappear into the crowd.

Not long after, I left Lorilee underneath the golden oak tree, I meet up with Piper again. I find my friend enthusiastically acting along with the annoying mime I had fled from earlier. What is wrong with that boy? I tap Piper on the back of his shoulder

"Hello, Sam," he grins.

"Hello, Piper," I return less fervently, because I am still sore about the memory of Madliena.

"Did you find anything interesting at the fair?" Piper inquires.

"You can say that," I smirk.

"well, I'm glad buddy," she pats me on the shoulder, "are you ready to get back to the _Leviathan_? The captain only allowed as an hour and a half. We're running late as it is..."

Piper the worry wart do-gooder, and Salty Sam the sarcastic daredevil. What a pair we make, huh?

"Yeah," I answer, shaking my head at my friend, "let's go."

* * *

Later in the evening, the crew is participating in the usual above deck activities. All our chores are finished for the day, we are just goofing off. It's nothing special really, lewd sailor jokes, name calling, dancing to sea shanties. Not me, though. I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I don't dance.

I'm off by myself, in an unusually good mood, because I have my meeting with Lorelei to look forward to later tonight. Suddenly, Piper appears at my side. I am no longer angry with him, for I am completely over Madliena, or any other girl I had taken up with in the past. Everything is Lorelei, now.

"What are you smiling about, Salty?" asks Piper?

I don't answer, but I do flash him a wicked grin.

"A girl?" he smiles.

"What makes you say that?" I question.

"It's just I haven't seen you this happy since..."

I cut him off immediately, "Don't say it."

Piper opens his mouth defiantly, "I haven't seen you this happy since..."

"I warning you, Piper," I growl, " don't you dare, say her name."

"Not since Hannah," he finishes.

I am stunned. Why would Piper blatantly go out and say that. I don't need any reminders. Piper has made me sufficiently angry. I lunge at him, and since I'm quicker on my feet, am able to get the best of him. We both hit the deck with a thud, and Piper finds himself pinned to the floorboards. I could have taken him out then, but I do have honor, and believe in a fair fight, so I let Piper up. I guess Piper wasn't expecting me to take a swing at him, because I landed one square in his jaw. Now, I know Piper isn't bad in a fight, and if he saw that punch coming, he would have blocked it.

Piper is dazed in his confusion for a moment. I had never hit Piper before in our ten year friendship. However, Piper shakes his head clear, and the fight is on. At first the boys cheer us on, but it becomes clear that I am literally trying to murder Piper. I am just grinding Piper's face roughly into the deck, when Muscle interlopes our brawl, and pulls me off Piper.

I take a couple of wild swing at Muscle, but he has earned his nickname for obvious reasons, and I fail miserably.

"Capin' don't want nobody killed on his ship, no how," Muscle shakes me hard.

He is big and strong, surely, but Muscle is a little slow in the noggin. Still, he is probably right. I do not want to explain to the captain that I am the reason why Piper died. Worse, he isn't even a orphan like most of us are. Piper has a widowed mother out in the world somewhere. He sends her money on a regular basis. And I don't want to explain to her, that I killed her son. Piper's mother is one scary woman.

When muscle is satisfied that the fight was over, he leaves Piper and me standing alone.

"Sam," Piper begins, "let's just stop and talk for a minute. You know, I didn't mean..."

Does this guy ever supt up?

"Don't you have rats to drown, or something?" I hiss at him.

Piper only narrows his eyes, "This isn't over. We'll talk later."

Piper storms off in the opposite direction, and I get the hell off that ship.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hm, maybe Sam isn't as over all the girls he has taken up with in the past after all? Thank goodness for Muscle, huh? Otherwise, we'd have a dead Piper on our hands, and Sam would be a rotten murderer.

Ah, the return of Hannah, or at least the mention or her. Hmm... I wonder what could have happened between those two? And who is Hannah, anyway?

(Queen)  
Lionel take this down:  
His royal highness, Christopher Rupert, Windmehr Lademehr, Carl  
Alexander, Francois Reginald, Lancelot Herman....

(Lionel) Herman?

(Queen) Herman.  
Gregory James... (he'll thank us for it later) Is giving a ball!

xJadeRainx


	6. Chapter 6: Memory in the Moonlight

I lean moodily against the oak tree, where Lorelei had agreed to meet with me. I don't have a watch with me, so I am unsure of the exact time. However, going by the moon's position in the sky, I estimate that it's about nine-thirty. There is still another half hour before Lorelei is due to arrive.

I am still fuming about Piper's shenanigans, aboard the _Leviathan_, but there's nothing I can do about that now. Somehow, I'll think of something to make him pay. Really, what the hell was he thinking. I stare at the moon for a moment, before my mind wanders. Of all my memories, I have no idea why this one came to mind.

_My parents had been murdered only two days before, and five year old me, was left to fend for himself on the dusty streets. Before long, I had been added to the collection of homeless children in the Cherryville Orphanage. Cherryville, sounds like a happy name, doesn't it. Well, I suspect that their isn't a happy orphanage on the face of the planet. _

_My time at Cherryville was less than appealing. I spent the next two miserable years, eating food, one could hardly call edible, and being tortured and teased by some of the older and bigger orphans. Ever since I witnessed the murder of my parents, neither of whom I can really remember now, I had suffered from incontinence. The other orphans had a blast with that. As a result, I didn't speak very much, only when necessary.  
_

_It wasn't long before I had had enough with Cherryville, and shortly after I turned seven, I ran away. I didn't know where I was going, but any place was better than Cherryville. I wandered about town for hours. You'd be surprised how many people are unconcerned about young children roaming the streets without parental supervision, but it's a fact nonetheless. I don't even remember how it happened, but I ended up near a port, and was standing atop a busy dock watching the ships. Suddenly, a ragged, but friendly looking man was hovering above me._

_"Are you a pirate?," I asked._

_The stranger burst out in heartwarming laughter, "No, son, just a humble sailor."_

_"Don't call me son!" I screamed with rage, "you're not my father!"_

_"And where is your father, lad?" the man questioned._

_"Dead," I answered quietly, staring down at my bare feet._

_"Well, then," he began, "surely, your mother must be worried about you. Go on home, and give her this."_

_The stranger had pressed a few copper pieces into my palm. I hand them back immediately._

_"I don't have a mother," I nearly cried, "she's dead too."_

_The man looked at me sympathetically, and for some reason I trusted him. That was a miracle in and of itself. I had learned to never trust anyone._

_"I told you that I'm a sailor, my boy," the man stated, "how would you like to be a sailor too?"_

_A sailor? I had never considered that before. But anything had to be better than Cherryville, right?_

_"Yes, sir!" I answered a little too enthusiastically._

_"Let me warn you though," he said, "It's hard work. You'd be scraping barnacles, and swabbing the decks almost the whole day long, and you're just a tiny, little thing."_

_"I'm not that small," I challenged in defiance._

_"All right then," the stranger smiled warmly, "what is your name?"_

_"Sam."_

_"Well Sam, I'm Captain Skipper."_

_The Captain's ship was christened the Oak Leviathan, and I followed him aboard, without even looking back._

I am unexpectedly pulled from my reminiscing, by the sound of a snapping twig. I turn my head to investigate the noise, and there is Lorelei standing in the moonlight, looking exactly the same as when I had first left her. I beckon her towards me with a crooked finger. If I were a mind reader, I would be able to tell what she is thinking. But, that is not the case. Minutes pass, and my Lorelei hasn't moved an inch. Well, I guess that I'm just going to have go and get her then.

I begin to jog over to where Lorelei is standing, and I stop when she is about an arm's length away from me.

"I almost thought you weren't coming," I remark with my best smile.

"I always keep a promise."

"What kept you, then?" I ask, still grinning.

"I...uh...ran into some trouble."

I know the feeling.

"Trouble," I whisper, rubbing my chin, "nope, I wouldn't know anything about running into trouble."

I am hoping for a reply, but all my Lorelei does is smile at me. Am I really that charming? Well, yes of course. What a silly question!

I have my suspicions, but still, I need to be sure.

"Please tell me, you're my mermaid?" it is a question.

"I'm your mermaid," she shrugs.

"Yes!" I shout, picking her up by the waist, and spinning her in circles, "I knew it!"

"Put me down," giggles Lorelei.

I love her laugh. It's infectious. I obey my Lorelei's command, and return her to the spongy ground. However, there are still many unanswered questions. I will find the answers, mind you.

"Then, why do you have..._ legs_?" I am confused.

"It's a long story," she replies.

Did she honestly think, that I was going to let that be the end of it? How could I? There was still so much I wanted to know about my Lorelei.

"Well I've got all night," I suddenly plop to the spongy earth, while dragging her down with me, by her unbelievably soft hands.

My Lorelei mumbles something under her breath, but I don't catch a single word of it. Too bad.

"What's that?" I ask hopefully.

"I was banished from the mervillage, for saving a human from drowning,"

Mervillage. Human. Drowning. Was she banished after saving me? If that's so, then she certainly learned a whole lot in just about twenty-four hours. How interesting! There is something she isn't telling me.

"You know a curious amount about the human world for someone who was just recently banned from the...er... mervillage," I question with wonder in my voice.

"Who said I was only banished recently?" she challenges with mischief in her eyes.

God, is that attractive. Now, I love her even more.

"Okay, okay," I grin at her, "we're all entitled to our secrets, Lorelei."

We get to talking. We talk about everything under the sun, or moon in this case. We talk about shoes and ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings. Silly stuff, really, but I can't get enough of it. I can't get enough of Lorelei!

We spend hours together. I notice that the moon must have shifted its position in the black sky numerous times. I steal a quick glance at Lorelei. Cute little goosebumps are forming all over her bare arms, and indecently exposed chest. Thank Fortuna, that she hadn't decided to change dresses! I might have offered her my own jacket, but I do love seeing her shiver. What can I say? I'm just a pervert.

All at once she stands, "I've got to go, now."

Go? Now? But why?

I get up on my knees, clasp my hands to me chest, and plead," Do you have to?"

I would easily do anything, to get my Lorelei to stay with me, even if just for a little while longer.

"Yes, I do," she maintains.

My heart sinks deep into the pit of my stomach. So, this is what despair feels like? I hate it!

"I want to see you again," I make my point known, by taking her hands in mine.

"I'd like to see you again, too."

She does? She does! Lorelei wants to see _me_ again!

"Yes!" I cry out in triumph, falling to the ground in my victory, "when?"

"Get up," orders Lorelei.

Yes, my alluring enchantress, your wish is my command. I stand immediately.

"Here," she pulls something from between her breasts, and hands it to me.

How did I not notice that? I had been staring at her chest hard enough, believe me. I reach out to take the paper with a grin. This is now my most precious possession.

"What is this?" I ask.

"It's an invitation for a masquerade ball tomorrow night."

Masquerade ball? I heard about that earlier at the Autumn Jubilee. A couple of love birds, a girl with black hair, and a boy with blond hair, had been talking about it. They looked like nobles to me. My Lorelei gets more mysterious by the minute. What guy doesn't like mystery?

"A masquerade ball," I muse, "how will I ever be able to find you?"

"I'll be costumed as a golden butterfly."

A butterfly, really? Why did I expect her to say she'd be dressed as a mermaid?

"How will you ever know it's me, behind the mask?"

"Repeat this line," smiles Lorelei

_How doth the little busy bee  
Improve each shining hour?_

Huh, sounds like poetry. That's Piper's department. I feel my body temperature rise at the thought of his name. But then I see the lovely Lorelei smiling in the moonlight, and all my pain and anger disappears. How does she manage that?

I move in for a kiss, but she pulls away, with a playful grin. Had we but world enough and time, this coyness, lady, were no crime. So, she wants to play hard to get. Well, that's just fine by me. I smile back at my Lorelei, and we both go our separate ways.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Oh, those poor sex starved sailors! It must be hard for Sam, living on a ship with only other guys for six months at a time.

So, today readers, we took a deeper look into Sam's past, the poor little orphan. Will more of Sam's painful memories be drudged up in this story? You bet! Keep reading, if you wish to find out!

Here is the return of Isaac Watts' didactic poem.

_How doth the little busy bee  
Improve each shining hour?_

There are segments of two other poems in this story? Can you find them? Here's a hint. Marvell at The Walrus and the Carpenter. Mawhahaha!

Who can those two lovebirds that Sam noticed at the Autumn Jubilee be? Think hard, you'll get it!

Someone to watch over me,

xJadeRainx


	7. Chapter 7: The Captain's Tale

I have no idea how I'm going to get to this masquerade ball. Could I claim that my costume is that of a dirty, weathered sailor? No, the guards wouldn't fall for that. They'd turn me out of the palace on the spot. And that's another thing! Somehow or another, my Lorelei is connected the palace and the idiot king who detests fishing. I have already explained my opinion on that stance, if you recall. In any case, I have no time to worry about such details, now. I suppose that I will discover the answers to those questions in due time. Right now, however, Skipper needs me to tally the inventory, to see what we might need before we make our departure. Departure? We still have over five days here. I don't even want to think about leaving, my Lorelei, not yet.

I rummage trough the papers littering the expanse of Skipper's desk. He isn't the most organized of men, as I have come to know. Finally, I find the check list. Food. Tackle. Rigging. Patch Sails. The list goes on and on and on some more. I sake my head in dismay. It sounds like the most boring of all menial tasks, but still, it must be done, and apparently Skipper only trusts his first mate to carry it out. I mine through the mountain of paper for a second time, and I am able to uncover a quill. Perfect. Now all I need to find in this mess, is an ink well, and then I can start tallying. Several minutes pass, and an ink well is nary to be seen. Come on, now! The old sea dog has to have an ink well somewhere. I pull open the top drawer of the captain's desk, and remove a curious looking envelope. It can't hurt to look, right? I open the yellowing paper envelope, and inside I find a creased photograph of a young woman.

"Hannah," I whisper.

That one word, drowns me in a flood of memories.

_I hadn't set foot aboard the Leviathan for more than two minutes before I was staring into the eyes of little brown haired girl. For one reason or another, she scared me. I remained frozen where I stood, and silent as usual._

_"I'm Hannah. What's your name?" the girl asked with inquisitive ice blue eyes._

_Still, I said noting, having not been accustomed to causal conversation with peers, from my time at Cherryville._

_"What's the matter?" Hannah jeers, "Cat got your tongue?"._

_I couldn't tell you how many times I must have heard that back at the orphanage. You'd think that I would have been immune to such an attack, but it still hurt my seven year old feelings. I stood on the deck, wishing I could come up with a smart mouthed reply, but my brain came up short. I vowed to myself , that I would work on that. Then maybe, someday, I too would be witty and argumentative._

_"I asked you what your name is," Hannah shouted, her anger rising._

_Suddenly, Hannah pushed me down, forcefully, and I was lying flat on my back, on the wooden planks of the Oak Leviathan. The fall knocked the wind out of me, and it hurt, but there was absolutely no way I was going to cry in front of a stupid girl._

_"Hey, leave him alone, Hannah!" another boy our age yelled._

_"All I did was ask him his name, Piper," Hannah said sweetly._

_"And push him down like an animal," the boy called Piper glared at her, as he helped me to my feet, "My name's Piper. What's yours?"_

_"Piper?" I question._

_What a peculiar name._

_"They call me that, because I have to drown all the rats, just like the Pied Piper," he answered, "Don't worry, you can tell me your name."  
_

_"Sam," I answer quietly._

_Then Hannah bursts out in laughter. I didn't understand what was so funny._

_"That's a stupid name," she teases._

_I felt my anger rising towards this girl. There was nothing wrong with the name Sam. It was a good name! I figured that it was an opportune time as any to hone my sarcasm._

_"Well," I spat, "at least my name doesn't rhyme with banana!"_

_It was far from a great comeback, but it was a start._

_Hannah was indignant, "I have a beautiful name! My daddy says so!"_

_Piper pointed and laughed, "Haha! You're Hannah Banana!"_

_"Yeah, Hannah Banana," I chimed in, but I felt guilty for picking on her._

_This was all too much for young Hannah, though, and she ran away in tears._

Suddenly, the scene in my mind changes.

_Several years had passed, and I'm still part of the Leviathan's crew. At thirteen, I had outgrown my shyness, and thankfully, my incontinence. Every last member of the crew had become like family to me, even Hannah. With the exception of our initial meeting, Hannah, Piper, and I, had all become fast friends. You'd be surprised how a few kids can find trouble out at sea, but we did. Anyway, at this point I had probably one of the biggest crushes on Hannah, one could ever imagine. Only, you wouldn't catch me admitting it. The only person I had been brave enough to tell, was Piper, and I swore him to secrecy. That was one thing about Piper. He was always good on his word._

_The Leviathan was headed for trouble. We were still at least a month away, before reaching land, and our salt supply was running dangerously low. What's the big deal, you might be inclined to ask. Well, I'll tell you. It is a well known fact that meat spoils. That's just the way of life. Now, Salt is a preservative, and it keeps meat fresher, for longer. Not salt, meant no meat, and no meat, meant the Leviathan and all her crew were going to starve. I had an idea to fix that, but I wasn't sure it was going to work. I found an old length of rope, that was much to short to be of use to the Leviathan, but it was just long enough for what I needed. I tied one end of the rope to the handle of a tin bucket, and slowly lowered it over the edge of the Oak Leviathan, and into the sloshing sea._

_"What are you doing, Barnacle?" I heard Piper's voice from over my shoulder._

_Barnacle. That was my unfortunate nickname aboard the Leviathan._

_"Barnacle," Hannah chuckled, "thirteen and he still hasn't gotten himself a proper nickname."_

_"I wouldn't talk, if I were you, Hannah Banana."_

_Hannah still didn't like my little pet name for her, which was one of the reasons why I used it religiously. Hannah gave me a good shove, in her annoyance, and I nearly dropped the bucket into the ocean. It was a good thing, I caught the ropes, though. I needed this plan to work._

_"So, what are you doing?" Piper asks again._

_"You'll see," I answer with a grin, as I start reeling the bucket back in._

_I placed the bucket aside, where I thought it would be safe._

_"Come on," I called to my friends, "let's go hide some of that rotten fish in Mullet's spare pants."_

_The others followed me faithfully. Two days later, I present my bucket full of salt to Piper and Hannah._

_"Tadah!" I said proudly._

_"Where did you get all that salt?" Hannah asked with awe in her voice._

_"From the ocean," I grinned._

_Piper lit up, with understanding, "Oh, I get it! You let the water evaporate, leaving behind the dried sea salt. Why didn't I think of that?"_

_Piper crossed his arms and feigned jealously._

_"Sam!" shrieked Hannah, "that idea was of genius level intellect!"_

_"I know," I said confidently._

_"This warrants a new nickname, doesn't it, Piper?" Hannah squealed._

_"Uh, yeah, I guess," Piper shrugged._

_"How about Salty?" suggested Hannah._

_"Salty Sam," Piper snorted._

_"I actually, quite like the name, Piper," I folded my arms, and then smiled at Hannah._

_"Come on, Sam," she ordered, pulling me along by my arm, "let's start spreading your new nickname!"_

I am startled out of my daydream by the sound of an opening door. The captain enters his cabin, and I jump up from his desk. I completely forget that I am still griping tightly to Hannah's photograph.

"What's taking you so long, Salty?" Skipper asks.

I feel a slight pang in my heart at the mention of the name, Salty. That has never happened to be before.

"I was just looking for an ink well, S-Sir," I stammer.

"But instead you found a picture of my daughter," the captain points at my clenched fist.

I look down at my had. To my surprise, there is the photograph of a smiling Hannah.

"I'm sorry, Captain," I apologize.

"You can call me Skipper," he assures me. "and it's fine, Salty, just put it back where it belongs."

I hurriedly replace the picture back into the yellowing envelope, set it in its drawer, and shut it up tightly. Meanwhile, Skipper has produced an ink well, from another drawer in his desk, and hands it to me.

"Here, Salty," Skipper says, "now you can get to work."

I grab my list, and move to exit his cabin, but I stop short at the door.

"Cap, I mean, Skipper?" I ask.

"Yes, boy?"

"How did you know the waters here are merfolk territory?"

Skipper smiles at me, and orders me to sit down. I do as my captain asks of me.

"It's a bit of a long story," admits the captain, "do you have time to sit and listen?"

I nod reluctantly. It is getting late, and I still need to finish all my chores, somehow find a costume, and then meet Lorelei at the masquerade ball. I secretively hope this won't take too long, after all.

"The story begins a long time ago, when I was a young lad, sailing the seven seas, not much older than you, Salty..."

Oh Fortuna, help me! I love this man, like a father, but he does have a tendency to ramble.

"... Our ship was caught in another terrible storm, worse than I had ever seen before..."

Skipper, why must you always take so long before you get to the point of your little anecdotes? I have things to do, and a girl to seduce!

"...And then I spotted a dolphin, caught in our rigging, the poor creature..."

Dolphin? When did dolphins come into the story? What the hell is he talking about?

"...But ho! The rope ladder was no where to be scene, and I was now trapped at sea, surrounded by killer waves. Surely, I was a dead man..."

He really is dramatic, isn't he? I nod, with my chin resting in my hands. Hopefully, he can't see through my smile of fake interest.

"...When I came to, I was staring into the eyes of a fair mermaid, my boy..."

Oh good, he's getting to the point now. I better start paying attention.

"She was startled when she realized that I had woken and noticed her. She moved to jump back into the sea, but I call out to her, pleading for her to wait. I asked her what her name was, and she told me it was Athena. We became friends, and she told me that mermaids often swim to the surface during storms, because they are so curious, more so than merman.

"She was beautiful, far beyond words could describe, and I soon fell in love with her. I would have gladly traded my legs for a tail, so that I could be with her, but that was not to be?"

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because my Athena was betrothed to another. One of her kind. It simply wasn't in the stars, my boy."

I scratch my chin in thought, "So, then, you saw the mermaid who saved me from drowning before you pushed me over the railing?"

"No," Skipper answers simply.

"What?" okay, now I'm confused.

"Well," Skipper begins sheepishly, "Athena did mention that mermaids love to surface during a good storm, and that was as fierce a storm as any..."

My mouth hangs open in disbelief. Skipper really must be a madman.

"What!" I shout incredulously, "you weren't even certain! I could have died out there, if she hadn't happened to swim by! Are you crazy, old man!"

"Sorry, Sam," Skipper apologizes sheepishly, "I hadn't thought it though all that well."

"That's all right Skipper," I shake my head and sigh, "no harm done. Just try not to do that again, okay?"

"Agreed," says my captain.

I stand up from Skipper's chair and stretch my back. I have no idea how long I have been listing to Skipper ramble. I need to get to work immediately, or I would have a disappointed Lorelei on my hands.

"Well, Skip," I yawn, "I'm off to do my chores now."

With that, I leave the captain to his own affairs.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

So, Sam relived a few of his childhood memories for you, readers. So far nothing suspicious, huh? I wonder what really did happen between Sam and Hannah, who we have just discovered his the daughter of Captain Skipper. How interesting!

Okay, so I realize that the photograph of Hannah, is an anachronism (out of place) in this time period, but I needed a spontaneous event to trigger Sam's memory. And this is what I came up with. I don't think it's that distracting, so you should all be able to cope with that, I'm sure.

Can you believe it? Athena saved Skipper from drowning before! It's no wonder where Ariel gets her spirit from!

Lights, camera, action (Wiggles!) welcome to our TV show,

xJadeRainx


	8. Chapter 8: Spoiled Rotten

Finally, all my chores are finished for the night. I might have been done hours ago, if in wasn't for Skipper's silly, lengthy anecdote. I am tired, and filthy, but still I cannot rest. I clamber over to my small room, a cell really. Funny. It's small for the standards of even one man, but I have two other roommates. I open the door, and to my great distress, Piper is already in the room, sitting atop his cot, reading, and for amusement too. There is something seriously wrong with that boy.

"Sam?" he calls, looking up from his book.

I ignore him and change into some clean clothing. The masquerade ball is only an hour away, and I still need to get cleaned up. It's too late for a costume I suppose, so I'll have to try my luck with the sailor bit. Who knows, maybe the guards will believe the sailing garments are a getup, and let me into the ball. It should be interesting. I have never mingled with royalty before. Well, I guess it's true what they say, there's a first time for everything.

"Sam?" Piper calls again, slightly more aggressively, "we still need to talk."

I'm still ridiculously mad at Piper for pulling that Hannah stunt. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Talk?" I sneer, "You did enough talking for the both of us, last night."

"I didn't mean anything by it, Salty," Piper defends himself, "really, I was only glad to see you this happy. I mean, you've been so down since..."

"Piper!" I roar, "If you say her name again, I swear, the crew will be swabbing your guts from the floor!"

"Okay, okay," Piper says apologetically, "where are you going?"

"Out," I reply gruffly.

Why am I so furious with him? I cannot even explain it to myself.

"To meet with the mystery girl?" Piper asks, "What's her name?"

I sigh. I suppose that Piper deserves that much, at least.

"Lorelei," I answer and hurry out the door.

* * *

To be honest, the palace is a pretty good distance from the docks, and I still have to walk the whole way. At this rate, I'm going to be late for the masquerade ball. I laugh at myself. The thought of me, Salty Sam, attending a ball is utterly ridiculous. I kick a rusted tin can along the street, as I walk. This costume thing really has me down. If the guards refuse to let me in, and my Lorelei thinks I stood her up... the thought alone kills me. At least I still have the invitation she gave me. That's proof enough, isn't it? Oh well. Suddenly I stop walking. Wasn't there something I was supposed to repeat to Lorelei? I think it was poetry.

"How doth the little, something or other improve...." I say to myself, in an effort to remember.

No good. Poetry and I don't mix. Dammit. I should have asked Piper about the poem. Chances are he was familiar with it. But, no, Sam has to cling onto his anger. Curse my stubbornness. I moodily continue on my way, when I faintly hear a voice, in the back of my brain. I am so enveloped in my thoughts, I barely respond. Finally, I turn to look.

"Hey, there!" A fat old man shouts at me, "you boy, come here!"

Did that clown just call me boy? Who does he think he is, anyway?

"I say, come here!" the old slob repeats.

What the hell? I might as well see what this is all about. Slowly, I step in the man's direction, stopping only when I'm about two feet away from the old bastard.

"What?" I grumble, making my irritation clear.

The portly fool is taken aback by the sheer rudeness of my words. I grin. The look on his face amuses me.

"Our carriage tipped over," the man began to explain.

"And this concerns me, how?" I cross my arms.

"And the horse," he gestures to the animal, "it's broken it's ankle."

Poor horse. It didn't deserve that.

"And?" I say impatiently.

The man frowns and turns the deepest shade of red, I've ever seen. You'd think he'd never spoken to a sailor before. Ha!

"There is to be a very important ball at the palace tonight, young man."

"Is there really?" I ask, feigning surprise.

Gee, this fat old man, rambles more than Skipper, even. I never thought I'd live to see the day.

The man makes a gesture to the carriage, and a nerd dressed in a classic musketeer get up, steps out. I force myself to suppress my laughter. He looks impossibly goofy.

"May I introduce Lord Bardolph of Tomi the younger," the man announced, "we're due at the ball shortly, but as you can see, our horse is in no condition to travel."

Okay, now this clown really has me laughing. I chortle, uncontrollably at his words.

"Well, in that case," I snort again, "It looks as if, your going to have to walk."

Rich people really get me. They all think their too good to walk on their own two feet. I turn to leave.

"Wait, boy," the man cries.

I stop dead in my tracks. I'm already late for the ball. I might as well have some fun with this buffoon.

"What?" I snap just as grumpily as before.

"I'll pay you three copper pieces if you would do me the favor of escorting Lord Bardolph the rest of the way to the palace. I'd do it myself, but unfortunately, I need to stay with the horse..."

"No." I answer simply, and again turn to leave.

"I say," the oaf begins indignantly, "it does look as if you could use the money."

Instantly, I pivot on my heels, and glare at the fat old man. I notice that he is looking me up and down in disgust.

"Listen you pompous, idiot..."

Then, I freeze. I have just caught a good look at Lord Barffington, or what ever his name is, and I realize something. This little rich boy is uncannily similar to me in height and build, granted I'm a slightly more muscular than him, but other than that, we're practically the same man. This means, his costume would surely fit me.

"Were are my manners," I begin again, "I'd be delighted to accompany such an important youth to the ball. We wouldn't want him falling into some misfortune. I'd never forgive myself, otherwise."

"There's the spirit, young man!" The fat man gave a jolly chuckle, and pressed the copper pieces into my hand.

I hand the coins back to the man, "Oh, no. It is an honor for someone like me, to have the company of nobility. I gladly help for free. Good evening to you, sir."

If I had a cap on tonight, I might have tipped it. Oh well.

"Thank you, thank you," The old man called out to me, as I "escorted" the little rich boy to the ball.

As soon as we were far enough out of old fat man's sight, I shoved Lord Barffington into a dark alleyway. The little rich boy, fell into a corner. He's trapped. There's no way to escape from me now. I crouch down slightly, just enough to reach the knife I always keep in my right boot. I'm not going to hurt him of course, but I do have to make this look convincing. All I want to do is scare him a little.

"Take off your costume," I order gruffly.

"I beg your pardon?" he gasps.

"Look," I take one aggressive step towards him, "you can keep everything else your wearing. All I want is your costume, all of it."

"I think not!" he is still resisting.

I guess I'm just going to have to show him how "serious" I am. I press the blade of my knife against his neck, with barely enough pressure to even scratch him, but I can tell he's terrified. What a coward! I've been known fight off five drunken men at a time and win! Spoiled, coddled, little rich boy. How I pity him.

"It's your costume or your life," I snarl convincingly.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Wow, it's been an amazingly long time since I updated this story. Did you readers forget about it. Well, I figured it's hiatus was long enough. Besides, Sam has told me how offended he is that I never write about him anymore.

Gee, that Sam sure goes to great lengths to get what he wants...

Christopher Robin and I walked along,

xJadeRainx


	9. Chapter 9: Hunting for Butterflies

Lord Barffington whimpered and went scampering off, minutes ago. I effortlessly slip into the borrowed costume. It fits a little snug, but the get up is far from uncomfortable. I stop to admire myself in a shallow puddle on the ground. It's official. The musketeer costume looks far better on me than it did that spoiled little rich boy. I wager that I am roughly twenty minutes late for the ball. Lorelei must be waiting for me, wondering where I am. I hurry the rest of the way to the palace. By now, Lord Barffington most likely informed the authorities about his dastardly assailant. Guards are probably out searching for someone who fits my masked description. It's best if I get myself into that masquerade ball where I will surely blend into the crowd.

Finally, I reach the gates of the palace. I casually stroll through the gates, as if I've done so all my life. As I reach the entrance to the palace, a huge guard yells out to me.

"Halt!" the guard screeches.

"Good evening," I test the waters using my most pretentious sounding voice.

"Fashionably late, I see," the guard greeted suspiciously, "your name?"

"Samuel de Salta," I answer confidently.

Hey, that's pretty good. I amaze myself sometimes. The guard checks the list in his hands.

"Warren?" the huge guard call to another.

"Is there a problem here, Greer?" the guard named Warren asks, sneering at me.

If Greer was huge, than Warren was a behemoth.

"His name is not on the list," Greer replies, gesturing at me.

"What!" I shout, "this is an outrage!"

I wave my arms in the air angrily, flailing the invitation Lorelei gave me. Greer snatches the piece of paper from my hands, and inspects it.

"Where do you come from?" Warren questions.

"Westland," I answer automatically.

I think I overhead the name of that place, that day at the Autumn Jubilee. I hope I got it right.

"Westland, huh?" Warren grunts, "I can't say I've ever heard of the de Salta family. Who's your father?"

"I take great offense to this interrogation," I howl, "when the king hears about this, he'll have your jobs!"

Before Warren can reply to my outburst, Greer hands him my invitation.

"Do you think it's a forgery?" Greer inquires.

Warren sighed heavily, "No, it looks like this came from the princess directly. This is her handwriting."

The princess? Really? What is my Lorelei up to? That girl is filled with one big surprise after another.

"Go in," Warren says gruffly, handing me back my invitation.

"I say, it's about time!" I huff, flouncing out my cape and determinedly brushing past the guards.

Neither Warren or Greer react to my blatant rudeness. I suppose they must be accustom to that sort of behavior.

Upon entering the the palace, I admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed. Never before, have I seen anything so fancy. Everything sparkles, and shines here. I mean, there is even a large chandelier that appears to be made of genuine crystal. Who would possibly have any use for that? I don't think that I have ever realized before, how much money the rich really do have to squander. I shake my head, recovering from my temporary daze. I need to find Lorelei, now.

The Palace is huge, and I wander around for a while before I find the ballroom. I enter, and my ears are immediately hit with the sound of music. There is a small piece orchestra playing classical music. Piper would love this. Piper. Dammit. Why can't I ever stay mad at him. I'll apologize to him, as soon as I get back to the _Oak Leviathan_. I casually make my way around the ballroom. There are literally hundreds of people walking, dancing, or eating. All of them are in costume. Who knows I could be standing right next to the idiot king, and not even notice! I sigh to myself. Finding Lorelei is going to be a difficult job. There's got to be at least three hundred guests here tonight. Suddenly, I see a flash of gold from my peripheral vision. I turn to see a golden butterfly. I grin to myself. That was Lorelei's costume.

I walk up to the butterfly, and whisper in her ear, "How doth the little crocodile, improve his shining tail?"

Yeah, that was it! Glad I remembered.

"You've got the wrong girl," the golden butterfly grumbles angrily, before storming off.

I scratch my head. This was unexpected. I guess there certainly can be more than one girl dressed as a butterfly at a masquerade ball. There's no law saying two people can't wear the same costume. At least, I don't think there is. I continue looking. I begin roaming around the ballroom once more, pushing though the crowd of bodies. Then I see her, another golden butterfly. This one has to be my Lorelei. I make my way to the girl, and tap her gently on the shoulder. She jumps slightly, but then she turns around to face me. I waste no time.

"How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail?" I repeat to her, flashing my very best smile.

"Sorry, those aren't the right words," the butterfly taunts, "I guess I'll just have to look around for the man with the correct password."

Then the girl coyly turns to leave, and I feel my face fall.

"Come on, Lorelei," I plead, "I already had another golden butterfly tell me rather rudely that I had the wrong girl!"

The golden butterfly laughs, "That was my decoy."

"Decoy?" I ask in confusion.

Why in the world would Lorelei need a decoy?

"That's a nice costume," she changes the subject, "how did you come up with that on such short notice?"

All right, Lorelei. I'll play along with your little game, for now anyway.

I grin, "Well, let's just say that some poor rich boy, is crying to his father right now, because his carriage was ambushed, and the robber curiously only asked for his costume and mask."

I wait to see how Lorelei will react to my confession. Cry? Yell? Scream? Run away in fright? No. Lorelei only smiles. She really is the perfect woman.

"Let's go," she giggles, dragging me away by my arm.

I love the sound of that giggle.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hello and welcome! Yet another installment of Misadventures of Sali: The Reprise has come your way.

"How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail is a quote from Lewis Carroll's _Alice's adventures in Wonderland_. Read it. It's fantastically whimsical!

I don't know why, but I'm feeling so sad. I long to try, something I never had,

xJadeRainx


	10. Chapter 10: Starry Night

Lorelei drags me all the way out of the palace, and onto the beach. We sit together on the sandy shore. Everything is still, and silent, well, except for the sound of the night music, which consists of the noises produced by the chirping crickets and other nocturnal creatures. Let me tell you, that the night sky looks magnificent tonight. The sky is a perfect shade of navy blue, and the stars, I could swear are made of crystal. Really, the setting is the perfect ambiance. I couldn't have asked for a better night to sit in the sand with my Lorelei beside me. I lay my arm across her shoulder, and point upwards at the sky. With the night being so clear, and all, it's a perfect opportunity to impress Lorelei with my knowledge of constellations.

"That one there is Lacerta," I state, "the lizard."

"You know a lot about constellations, Sam."

"I have too," I shrug nonchalantly, ""I'm a sailor. We navigate by the stars."

"Still, it's rather impressive," she smiles.

Haha! Mission accomplished.

"Oh!" I practically shout at the heavens, "there's my favorite, Pegasus."

"Pegasus," Lorelei repeats pensively.

I grin to myself. Her voice alone is like music. How does she manage that?

"Yeah," I sigh, ""the story goes that, Bellerophon, a greedy, power hungry man, forced Pegasus to fly him up to Mt. Olympus, where the gods lived. Zeus, king of the gods, was not happy with this, so he sent an insect to sting Pegasus, who then flung Bellerophon off his back. Then Zeus immortalized Pegasus in the night sky, among the stars."

"The stars look so beautiful tonight," she whispers in a dreamy voice.

Lorelei is right. The stars are lovely, but how can I call them beautiful when I have the very picture of beauty sitting right next to me. I like to think that I'm a pretty smooth operator. I gently lift Lorelei's mask until it rests on her delicate brow.

"No," I put every last ounce of charm I possess into my words, "not when compared to you."

Lorelei blushes, but I ignore it. There is no way, I'm going to spoil the mood by cracking a joke now. Hey, I'm not stupid!

"Tell me a secret about yourself."

Well, this is an unexpected twist. Still, I answer Lorelei's request.

"I'm deathly afraid of spiders," I mumble.

"Spiders? Really?" she repeats in disbelief.

"Hey, don't judge me," I cross my arms, "now, tell me a secret about _you_, Lorelei."

"I like to sing."

My mind instantly flashes back to the Autumn Jubilee, and I remember the song of the mystery girl. I was following the sound of her voice, before I ran into Lorelei. I'm curious and wonder if maybe, possibly Lorelei could be the mystery girl. Her speaking voice is melodious enough. Who am I kidding? The chances of that happening are probably a million to one. Still...

"Well, then why don't you sing something, now?" it's worth a shot.

"No."

Lorelei surprised me with the bluntness of her answer. No? Why the hell not? Oh, well, maybe if I plead with her using, my adorable, blue eyes, she will change her mind.

No."

There goes that word again. No. Unfortunately for Lorelei, I'm far to stubborn to simply give up on my quest to have her sing to me. Haha! Sam always gets what he wants.

"Why not?" I press using my irresistible, blue eyes as a weapon.

"You're going to sing to me, instead."

You could pick my chin off the ground. What did she just say? No way. There is absolutely no way. Salty Sam Bennett sing? The poor girl must be out of her head.

"Sorry, Lorelei, but you're not going to get a single note out of me."

"You're going to sing to me," she challenges with a wicked smile.

"Oh, no I'm not."

"Yes you are. Something romantic," Lorelei coos, scooting closer to me, resting her head against my shoulder.

Dammit! Honestly, how can I resist something like that? Lorelei fights dirty. I like that. A song, a song, a song. A_ romantic _song. Most of the songs are now are extremely bawdy, and that's putting it politely. Hey, I'm a sailor what do you expect from me? So, my Lorelei wants a romantic song? By George, she'll shall have it! Think, Sam, think. You've got to know at least one romantic song. Aha! I remember a song one of my roommates Crooner taught me to use in a situation just like this. Crooner says he sang it to a girl once, when the _Leviathan_ was docked in Palermo. He claims it works like a charm.

"All right, Lorelei," I laugh, "but remember that you asked for it!"

_Gee I don't know, I'd like to whisper sweet nothings  
Those words that everyone knows  
But my thoughts gets mangled,  
And all the words get tangled,  
But since you asked me, here goes:  
You're awful..._

"I believe that I asked for a love song, Samuel," she clicks her tongue impatiently.

""Shhh," I cover her lips with my pointer finger, "will you let me finish?"

_awful good to look at,  
Awful nice to be with, awful sweet to have and hold.  
You're nothing, nothing if not lovely,  
Nothing if not dazzling, nothing but pure gold,  
You're frightening, frightening me when you say  
That you might go away,  
You're boring, boring into my heart to stay.  
You're cheap, dear, cheap at any price, dear,  
Cheap for such a diamond,  
Cheap for such a pearl,  
What I said before, I'll say again,  
You're awful, awful nice to be my girl._

There are no words to express how relieved I felt, when my song finally ended. Lorelei and I stare at each other for a little while. I want to kiss her so badly, but I'm afraid. What's that all about? Salty Sam has never been afraid to kiss a girl, ever. I want for Lorelei to like me. Finally, I mover my face closer to hers, going in for a kiss, but I pull back. Then I am pleasantly surprised, when Lorelei meets me halfway, and our lips press together. Her lips are sweet, but the kiss is entirely too short, because Lorelei abruptly ends our little session.

"I've got to go, now," she breathes, and stands to leave.

This is the second time Lorelei pulled this kind of stunt, leaving me all alone. How could she do that to me? Me! Salty Sam! I'm the ideal company, you know. She doesn't even wait for me to respond, before she darts off towards the palace, kicking up sand in the process.

"Wait!" I run after her, grabbing Lorelei by the wrist, "Meet me in town tomorrow?"

"All right," she answers, taking off running.

Soon she disappears. That Lorelei really is an interesting character. I'm left scratching my head. We didn't even decide on a time and place to meet. Yes, Lorelei is interesting, interesting and beautiful. Well, it is pretty late. I better get back to the_ Leviathan_ before Skipper order to batten down the hatches, and I'm left sleeping outside for the night. I need to ditch this costume before I return to the ship, though. If the guys catch me in this get up, I'd never hear the end of it. I pass a park on the way back to the docks, and deposit the costume in a trash bin. Maybe Lord Barffington will find it there? Ha! Rich people don't rummage through garbage, do they? By the time, I get back to the Leviathan I am thoroughly exhausted. I stumble towards my room. Crooner and Piper are already sleeping. I feel bad for the way I have been treating Piper lately. He isn't a bad guy. I shake Piper by his shoulder until he wakes.

"Hey, Piper?" I whisper.

"What, what?" Piper bolts upright.

"I forgive you for being a complete egg sucking landlubber," I announce with a smile.

"Thank you for that, Salty," Piper adds with sarcasm, "I don't think I could have lived another day, knowing you were angry with me."

I chuckle, before my head is pelted with an old, flat pillow.

"Will you two lovebirds quiet down, so I can get back to sleep," Crooner growls at us.

I shake my head in amusment, and fall backwards onto my own cot, and close my eyes in an attempt to sleep.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Aww, who would have ever thought that Sam was such a romantic at heart?

The constellations Sam pointed to Hali, Lacerta and Pegasus, are constellations that are clearly visible during the month of October.

The song is called _You're Awful_, from the musical _On the Town_ (1949), starring Frank Sinatra.

New York, New York, it's a heck of a town, the Bronx is up, and the Battery's down,

xJadeRainx


	11. Chapter 11: Dream a Little Dream

**Warning:** This chapter is rated T for a reason. If any younger readers would like to skip this chapter and pick up on the next one, they may do so, without missing any important details, just some Sam and Hannah back story.

* * *

As I sleep, memories of Hannah haunt my dreams.

_I kissed the nape of a sleeping Hannah's neck, and she stirred slightly. During the night, I somehow weaseled my way into Hannah's room. She was the only one of us, besides the captain of course, to have her own room. Well, she was a girl, not to mention, daughter of the captain. No one knew about me and Hannah, except for Piper. He knew everything about me. Well, actually, Crooner probably suspected something. Crooner wasn't an idiot. He probably figured out where I've been sneaking off to at night, ages ago. Oh, well. In any case, the captain certainly doesn't know, seeing as I was still among the living. I gently nibbled away at Hannah's delicate earlobe. This time, she awoke with a groggy moan, and nearly pushed me off the bed in irritation. Classic Hannah._

_"Stop it," Hannah grunted._

_"Good morning to you, too," I stretched, and pulled her into a tight hug._

_"Sam..." Hannah began, as she tried to wriggle out of my embrace._

_I cut of her sentence, and kissed her passionately, pulling her closer to my body. The kiss lasted for a few minutes before Hannah finally pushed me away from her. If I were a more sensitive man, like Piper, I might have been hurt, but I knew Hannah like the back of my hand. She didn't mean anything by it. Hannah simply wasn't much of an affectionate girl. I was fine with that._

_"I love you, Hannah," I breathed, and left a trail of kisses from her shoulder to her neck._

_Hannah stood, and wrapped the bed sheet around her body like a dress. Then she systematically began tossing me my clothes._

_"You should go."_

_"That isn't the customary reply, when your boyfriend tells you he loves you," I tease._

_"No really, you should go," Hannah repeated._

_"Why?" I yawned, stretching my full length across the bed, "we have time. It's still early."_

_"It's not that early," she remarked, as she chucked my watch at me. Hannah had some damn good aim._

_I caught the watch in my hands, and my eyes flew open when I realized what time it actually was. Eight o'clock. Chores started an hour ago. How cold I have lost track of time like that?_

_"Get dressed," Hannah ordered._

_"Yeah, all right," I relented, but not before I pinched Hannah's bottom. I was rewarded with a smack to the face._

_Hannah and I dressed quickly, and was just buttoning my shirt, when someone knocked on Hannah's door._

_"Hannah, dear," the voice belonged to the captain, "are you feeling well? You haven't been up yet."_

_I froze in fear. After six months of sneaking around, I was finally going to get caught. I was too young to die!_

_"No, I'm fine, daddy," Hannah called to her father, "I just overslept. I'll be out in a minute."_

_"All right. I'll see you above deck in a moment, dear," the captain said._

_I heard his footsteps retreat and sighed, "Thank Fortuna."_

_Somehow, or other, the captain heard that, and turned back. "Is there someone in there with you, Hannah?"_

_"No, daddy," Hannah glared at me, "how could you ever say such a thing!"_

_"Open the door."_

_'Leave,' Hannah mouthed to me._

_I shrugged back at her. What did she want me to do disappear from thin air?_

_Then, Hannah pointed at the port hole. She wanted me to jump out the window? No. Then I would have to come up with two lies. The first informing the captain where I had been for the last hour, when I was supposed to be doing chores, and the second, explaining why I was sopping wet. I shook my head at Hannah._

_"Hannah!"_

_The captain's daughter only rolled her eyes, and pushed me backwards, forcing me out of the port hole. I clung to the edge of the porthole by my fingertips. I could climb back through once Hannah and the captain left. Then, Hannah suddenly slammed the window shut on my fingers, and I lost my grip._

_"Ouch!" I winced, as I plummeted out of Hannah's room and into the sea, with throbbing fingers and_ _all._

I am awaken by the sound of kissing, but not like regular kissing. No, this was obnoxious, sarcastic kissing, exactly like the guys do, when they are mocking someone.

"Maw, maw," Piper smacks his lips together annoyingly.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Crooner coos.

What are these two clowns carrying on about? Finally, I force open my eyes, and sit up straight. I cross my arms, and stare daggers at my idiotic roommates.

"What are you losers doing?"

Piper and Crooner burst out laughing, leaning against each other for support.

"Did you hear that, Piper?" Crooner gasps for air.

"I did, I did," Piper nods

"He wants to know what _we're_ doing!" Crooner laughs again.

"What!" I shout.

"Did you have sweet dreams last night?" Piper asked with a smirk.

"Oh he had dreams last night," Crooner jeered, "but sweet isn't the right adjective."

"Passionate?" suggested Piper.

"Getting closer."

"Hot and heavy?"

"Almost there."

"Wet?"

"Bingo!" Crooner slaps his knee.

Oh, I get it now. I must have been talking in my sleep. At least I hope that was all I was doing while unconscious.

"I'm leaving," I sigh, rolling off my lumpy cot. I quickly throw on some clean clothing, and try to leave without a word to either of my roommates. Truthfully, I'm a little embarrassed, but if I let that show, I'd be shark bait.

"Oh come on, Sam," Piper groans, "we're just having a little fun."

"It's fine," I shrug putting one hand on the door knob.

"You could at least tell us who the dream girl was," pleads Crooner.

"I know," Piper answers for me, "it was Lorelei."

"Who's Lorelei?" Crooner asks.

Piper waves his hands through the air mystically, "the mystery girl. Sam had some kind of date with her last night!"

Crooner winks at me, "that must have been some date, Salty!"

I only shake my head at their juvenile behavior, and quickly exit the room.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Well, since it's been a while since I last updated this story, I decided to do it now. Sooner is better than later, right? I added this chapter, because I felt my devoted fans really needed to get a feel for what Hannah and Sam's relationship was like. Having said that. What did you think of Hannah? I think she was acting a little suspiciously, but you don't have to agree with me! Don't worry, more Hannah and Sam back story is to follow. In case you are wondering, Sam's memory is set a little over a year before he met Hali, or as he knows her, Lorelei.

In other news, the United States continues to lead the Olympic medal count with eight medals! 2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze! Go team USA!

Also, Converse r life and I accidentally invented a knew smiley not so long ago. Here it is! :(. It means, zit. What do you think? Will it ever catch on?

Um, Converse r life. I have to admit that I'm a tad bit nervous. I'm not sure how you are going to react to this chapter. Please don't kill me! Sam was only acting, ACTING!

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

xJadeRainx


End file.
